AYUSHMAN BHARAT – NATIONAL HEALTH PROTECTION MISSION

Ayushman Bharat is an initiative to address health, holistically in primary, secondary & tertiary care systems covering both prevention and health promotion. The scheme aims to provide cashless benefits of Rs. 5 lakhs to Rs. 10 Crores for poor families in the country. It includes all the levels of healthcare delivery, from primary to tertiary.

 

It has two components namely-

1. HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTRE [HWC]

• HWC'S will be upgraded form of primary health centers [PHC].The focus area includes non-communicable diseases and infectious diseases, along with neonatal and maternal care.HWC will primarily focus on early detection and prevention. This is significant;in a sense that the burden on secondary and tertiary health system will reduce if early detection takes place.Moreover, rural areas will benefit the most as HWC spreads across India.

2. NATIONAL HEALTH PROTECTION SCHEME [NHPS]

         NHPS is an insurance scheme which covers a family at a cost of upto Rs. 5 lakhs per annum. This scheme will cover primary and tertiary treatment for lower income groups, reducing the out of pocket expenditure and offering the choice for treatment at a private hospital.

Strategy of Scheme

a)    Establishment of Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission Agency at National Level and State Health Agency, to ensure proper implementation of Scheme at National, State, and UT levels.

b)    The States and UTs can implement scheme through an insurance company or directly through Trust/Society. This would increase ambit of the scheme at ground levels.

Merits of the Scheme

a)    A Strong Network of 1.5 Lakhs Health and Wellness Centers across the Country would constitute the foundation of India's new healthcare system.

b)    It will cover more than 10 Crore Poor and Vulnerable Families in the Society.

c)     The support from trained nurses and health workers will increase the availability of proper healthcare facilities in the vicinity for residents of rural India.

d)   Vulnerable sections of the society would have access to healthcare for almost all medical and surgical conditions that can occur in a lifetime.

e)    Package rates decided by Government for private hospitals would help in keeping the costs low& affordable for many.

f)      It will generate employment, especially for women, also making them economically empowered.

Challenges

a)       Major Challenge would be Implementation and Governance of the Scheme.

b)      The Private Hospitals are based on profit motives and fixing rates of medical procedures would increase chances of hospitals neglecting poor patients.

The Healthcare is a Goal under SDG 2030 Goal-3 of Good Health. The Scheme would ensure Proper Healthcare Facilities for Most Vulnerable Sections of the Society.

Way forward

·        Providing insurance covers will help improve the health system in the country. Infact, there is a need for a robust healthcare infrastructure in the remotest corners of the country where all the people have an easy access to all the medical facilities. Also, budget allocation needs to be increased for fruitful implementation of the core purpose of the scheme.